Institute of Archaeology

History of Archaeology

Examination and presentation of archival material and object collections

The history of archaeology is a growing
area of research not least because of the increased importance of digitising
collections and making them publicly accessible. There are a series of current developments in
this field, but the UCL Institute of Archaeology is particularly well placed to develop research because
of the depth and breadth of its archival holdings and collections.

The Institute is one of the earliest archaeology
training institutions in Britain, and a key player in the development of
archaeology as a profession. Its past has fixed its current position as the
largest and one of most well-known archaeology departments in the world. The Institute's focus on archaeology, museum
studies and cultural heritage will add multiple perspectives to research in the
history of archaeology, and facilitate contacts with many different cultural
institutions, including museums, university archives and learned societies.

The IoA History of Archaeology
Research Network brings together a critical evaluation, examination and presentation of archival material and object
collections, and comprises a strong inter-disciplinary element; including
strong links to the history of science, art and museum collections, social and
cultural history, architecture and tourism. It also provides a valuable route
for public access to archaeology, enhancing the quality of archaeology’s impact
on the public.

Encourage research in the
history of archaeology at the Institute as part of a developing discipline

Improve knowledge of and
research into the Institute of Archaeology’s archival collections, and research into
archaeologists’ collections and collecting activities that are encompassed in
the Institute’s and the Petrie’s collections

Increase public access to
collections via digitisation of the Institute's archives in collaboration with UCL
Special Collections and UCL
Museums and Collections

Encourage further public engagement with the
history of archaeology through exhibitions and public lectures, encouraging
participation from diverse communities

The potential for the
history of archaeology to contribute to public awareness of and appreciation
for archaeology is enormous. The Institute's collections are
partially the result of generations of archaeologists leaving personal and
fieldwork related material to the Institute specifically because of its place at the
forefront of archaeological research.

In
order to capitalise on this, and highlight the breadth and depth of the Institute's
history, its collections and archives are the foundation of this new
research network. Its goal is to develop a publicly accessible database of its collections, both material and documentary, showcasing the Institute's facilities, research, staff and students while revealing archaeology's role within a wider social, economic and political historical context.

Challis, D. 2008. From the Harpy Tomb to the Wonders of Ephesus: British Archaeologists in the Ottoman
Empire 1840-1880. London: Duckworth.

Challis, D. 2008. Charles Newton: The Keeper, The British Museum
and the Ottoman Empire, in D. Shankland (ed.).
Anthropology, Archaeology and Heritage in the Balkans and Anatolia (Conference
Proceedings). Istanbul: Isis Press.

Funding

UCL Centre for Humanities Interdisciplinary Research Projects (CHIRP): Award of a Small Research Grant 2013-14 for a project entitled Filming Antiquity. The project will involve the digitisation of excavation films currently held in the UCL Institute of Archaeology, an interdisciplinary symposium with screenings of a sample of the digitised films and discussion and the construction of an online archive of these films and supporting materials.